Listen to your Heart, Not to the World
by greenphantomme
Summary: There is nothing as awkward as being hidden in the back of a broom closet when other people come inside it. What I didn't know at the time was that one of the girls who came in would change my life in more ways than I could ever possibly realize.
1. Chapter 1

'When it's all said and done, only you can know your story; don't let others tell you who you are.'

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><p>Part I.<p>

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><p>I don't remember when I first became curious about Rose Weasley. Before, it was as if she existed and I existed and that was it. We had never had a conversation, never been partners for class, and never even officially met. In fact, up until fourth year, I probably wouldn't even have been able to pick her out of a crowd; I didn't even know she was in my year. If someone asked me who she was I would have said something along the lines of, 'you <em>can't<em> expect me to be able to extinguish the large amount of Weasley's from each other.' There were hundreds of students at Hogwarts, what was one singular person compared to the masses?

But that's how I was; I didn't really care about other students other than a few in my house. I distanced myself from anything to do with the Potter's and Weasley's and most of the Hogwarts population. Everyone seemed to scorn me in my first few years at Hogwarts; I even had a few hexes thrown at me by random passersby's. It seemed like nobody liked me. I spent lots of time alone outside in spring and autumn to avoid the students. I always stared at the castle, I loved looking at it when I was outside by myself. It seemed like every time I looked I noticed something different and I was entranced by it.

I felt that the Weasley's and Potters had probably thrown the odd hex or two at me just because of my last name. My dad always tried to keep me open minded when I was younger, and to treat people with respect but when nobody treated me with respect I felt that they didn't deserve it back. I would act haughty and I sometimes said cutting remarks to people I didn't like or trust; which sadly happened to be the majority of the students. I didn't even really trust the people I occasionally hung out with - the few people that accepted me into their circle. They always did or said things that, even though I wasn't the nicest person, I would never say or do. They were what I had though and so I stuck with them. Students didn't seek to make connections with me purely based on my last name. That was how the first three years of Hogwarts went.

I don't remember when I started to become curious about Rose Weasley, but I do remember when I first became aware of her. The brief encounter we had in fourth year was the first time I was face to face with Rose Weasley. I hadn't really been paying attention to what I was doing; I was staring at an intricate carving in the stonework of the ceiling and walked right into a student younger than me.

The papers he was carrying immediately fell all over the floor and his book bag slammed into my shin. I started hopping around, painfully holding my leg and cursing at the boy, calling him a clumsy fool and a lack-wit. He just kept repeating _'sorry'_ while he started to pick everything up. That's when Rose Weasley came swooping in, though I didn't know her at that time. En route to class, she noticed the commotion and came to the young boy's aid.

Together they picked up all the papers while I kept holding my leg and swearing at the boy. Then she looked at me and angrily said, 'if you're leg _really _hurts that badly from a_ book bag_ maybe you should do something useful with yourself and go to the hospital wing to get a band-aid instead of just standing there.'

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Who was this– _this nameless chit_ who dared speak to me that way? Needless to say I was affronted but couldn't say anything back; my tongue seemed to be frozen. She stood up and I noticed she was my exact height. That was intimidating in itself; especially because she looked me right in the eyes. Most people didn't like to look me in the eyes.

She continued. 'It was simply an accident. _Don't_ call anyone names, they do more damage than you would _ever_ think.'

With that, she walked away without looking back. The boy left immediately after, clutching his book bag like I would steal it from him any second. He didn't look back either.

Later that day in our Transfiguration class, I noticed the girl with the short red hair and paid close attention to her. Who the hell was she? She sat near the back of the class beside a girl with black curly hair. Of course I couldn't look at her very long because I was near the front. However, I did learn one interesting thing about her: her name was Rose Weasley.

To say that I became interested in her after that would be a lie. Knowing that she was a Weasley I didn't want anything to do with her. I wished I hadn't beeen curious about who the girl was that had talked me down. However, no matter how much I hated it, I was always able to place her face with her name whenever I heard it. Equally annoying was the fact that I also couldn't seem to forget the sound of her voice.

She was a quiet girl and never attracted much attention. That surprised me because before I had just bunched the whole family together in one group. There were always rumours about the rambunctiousness of the other members of the family from the occasional times when house tables were pranked by them. I had passed a day with bright pink hair after the apple juice was spiked one breakfast and another time they made the bench very hot so we all got burnt when we sat down. Their names went in one ear and out the other: James, Fred, Roxanne, Louis. There might have been others, but perhaps not. I didn't want to know about Rose Weasley's extended family or even wonder who they were. I tried not to think of myself as bigoted but I felt superior to them all. Rose Weasley had made me feel small for a short amount time, so I planned to avoid her from now on.

As fourth year ended, Rose Weasley and I had one more chance encounter. It was my first year on the Quidditch team and so I always arrived early to the pitch before practice because I wanted to stay on the Captains good side. It was a very rainy, gloomy day and I was not excited for practice as I started walking. The Quidditch cup was coming up and our captain had us on the field almost six days a week. As I got closer, I noticed through the rain a figure walk into the broom shed with something. Usually nobody from my team beat me to the pitch so I was a little suspicious as I walked closer. Then the figure came out and I noticed a short red bob. It was Rose Weasley. I knew that she wasn't on any house Quidditch team though. As a member of a team, we had an obligatory duty to know all other players and their weaknesses. I knew she was up to something no good, for what other reason could she be out here for?

I got angry at the idea that someone would be tampering with our brooms in storage, especially because she was from a different house than us. I pulled my robes tighter around me and I picked up my pace. I wanted to give her a piece of my mind for whatever she was doing. She had made me feel like a fool in the hallway that day; this would be my revenge. We drew closer and I noticed the calm look on her face whereas on mine I'm sure irritation would have been apparent. I had just opened my mouth to start berating her when my foot slipped in a patch of mud and I thudded onto my back.

Internally I groaned, for really– _that just happened_? Instead of making her escape like I thought she would she stood in front of me and reached down her hand. Her red hair was plastered to her face and her robes were soaked through from the pouring rain. She looked at me like we were equals though. I felt a shiver run up my spine when I looked at her eyes. They were calm, intense, sad, and intelligent. Last time she looked me in the eye I hadn't paid any attention to them specifically, too freaked out that she had had no qualms about me. Without really realizing what I was doing I reached up my hand and she pulled me up. When I was standing she gave me a nod and continued on her way.

And the broom shed? Well I would never know for sure why she entered the broom shed and if she would have possibly had something to do with what happened– but our Keeper found herself with a new broom. She was brilliant and that was why she made the team, but her old broom was from forty years ago, a second hand broom that was from her dad. She had never complained about it, never asked the team to pool money or anything, and never mentioned how her family couldn't afford one at home.

Yet how did Rose Weasley know– if she indeed put that broom in the broom shed? The team only found out afterwards that money was extremely tight for her. The broom was by no means a top of the line broomstick, but still respective enough in its own rights. In fact, it was just two models below mine, and mine was a hell of a good broomstick. Our Keeper had no clue who would have gotten her a new broom but she was bloody ecstatic about it and carried it around with her for a few days hugging it constantly. I didn't say anything of my suspicions about Rose Weasley because I was confused by what did or did not happen. And why, why the hell– if she did do it– would she do something like that?

We won the Quidditch cup that year. And then summer came.

I grew. By the start of fifth year I was just a few inches under my dad. People began to notice me a bit with my new height. I didn't get snubbed by as many people and some students decided I actually wasn't that bad. Whether it was because of my different looks or personality I didn't like to speculate about.

I refused to think of Rose Weasley when we were at school that year, I told myself not to care. It was my new goal, I felt like I was noticing her too much. The whole year she was a nobody to me - just a random girl in my year.

The one time that I couldn't escape the fact that Rose Weasley maybe-possibly-only-a-tiny-bit intrigued me was a conversation I overheard in the library. I was getting some books for Astronomy class. As I was nearing the back of the library I heard from the other side of the bookshelf two female voices.

'Why would you care about someone like him? He's not very. . . hygienic. It's really gross actually.'

The soft, musical voice that I recognized as Rose Weasley floated over the air in response. I told myself to leave, this was a Weasley and I didn't want to hear anything come from her mouth. But I stayed despite myself.

'Appearances aren't everything. Everyone deserves a chance, and he is really a brilliant kid. He just lacks the confidence to change things around him.'

'But you could be doing other things, like hanging out with your family for once. You never really sit with us anymore and you never do any pranks with us. What's up with that? Why do you have to tutor this disgusting kid?'

It was silent for so long that I thought they had both left, but then Rose Weasley's soft whisper came.

''Everyone knows that the drop emerges into the ocean, but few know that the ocean emerges into the drop'.'

There was a pause before the voice fired back, 'Rose, _I don't want some bullshit answer_ that you always seem to give me. I don't give a _bloody fuck_ about oceans and drops and whatnot.'

There was a slight pause before Rose Weasley replied.

'No matter what I say to you, you _always_ say that it is bullshit, so this time I answered your question my way. If you really cared you would figure it out. And yes I have lots of family members, but I just need space sometimes. Pranks might be all fun and games for someone, but it gets old real quick, and it can hurt people more than one little laugh would be.'

I heard one of them sigh, and then the person Rose Weasley was talking to started speaking again.

'Well Rose, I don't know what is wrong with you. You have changed so much it isn't even funny. Yes, your muggle friend died two years ago but you know what – get over it.'

''Everyone talks and nobody listens',' Rose said softly and a little sarcastically.

'Like what the hell is that? You're so weird and boring now; such a frustrating and annoying misfit. You can't mope around everywhere and do nothing.'

'Don't call people names Roxanne Wealsey,' she replied angrily.

'I don't even bloody care. I don't even know who you are right now. You're not even family,' the voice said back harshly.

I heard feet stomp out of the library; I just saw black hair flashing by before everything fell silent for a moment. And because Rose Weasley thought nobody was around her she whispered to her already gone cousin. 'You really don't know me anymore. I actually care about more things than myself.'

I held my breath. I was afraid to move a step in case she heard me and realized that someone was privy to her conversation. The one quote was stuck in my head: All know that the drop emerges into the ocean, but few know that the ocean emerges into the drop. That was more profound than I realized at that moment. It remained with me the rest of the day even though I vehemently tried to get it out of my head. I didn't want Rose Weasley in my head, I wish I had never walked down to get the books; I didn't want to think of Rose Weasley at all! Regardless of how much I wish I didn't, my feet moved themselves quietly around the corner and I peeked at her sitting in a chair. All I saw was the back of her head. She was staring out of the window with her books open on the table, not moving. A few minutes later she got up and left and I let out the big breath I was holding. I didn't stay long in the library, just grabbed two books and left.

As I was leaving I pushed the door into someone. Books clattered to the floor and absentmindedly I said sorry and helped the kid pick them up. It was probably at that moment, subconsciously however, that I dropped Rose Weasley's last name and she somehow became just Rose in my mind.

-.o0o.-

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><p>Part II.<p>

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><p>Summer came again and I grew a few more inches. Practicing Quidditch a lot outside gave me a healthy looking tan in lieu of my pale skin and more muscle in lieu of my gangliness. I returned to Hogwarts with a Prefects badge. I strutted around proudly, showing off the gleaming badge on my chest.<p>

During sixth year my popularity grew even more and I discovered snogging and parties. Lots of girls started following me around and whispered to their friends about me indiscreetly. How could I not use that to my advantage? I figured I was late to the snogging game and so why not make up for that lost time. They practically threw themselves at my feet: they cheered for me in Quidditch and they asked me to go to Hogsmeade with them. _All. The. Time_. I was living high for the moment, felt on top of the world. On weekends different houses would throw parties and I went out, having a great time while trying alcohol for the first time. My parents were worried about my grades dropping but I didn't really care that much, who needed school? I didn't want to disappoint the people that had finally started paying attention to me. I had _friends_ now, I was no longer the loner kid who sat outside by himself. They had started drinking last year and considered me a rookie. I wanted to get rid of that title to fit in even more.

Being a prefect meant that I had rounds to do every week. As neat as it was to be able to be out past curfew, I had snogging on my mind. That was how my next almost-but-not-really encounter with Rose happened. I hadn't realised it but she was a prefect too, I almost didn't recognize her from the previous year. She wore black rimmed glasses now and had grown a few inches over the summer, leaving her taller than most girls. Her red hair was a bit longer, falling to just above her shoulders in soft curls. In prefect meetings she rarely spoke, preferring to watch and listen to everyone. I can only remember her speaking up a few times in the year for I don't think– no matter how many years passed in the future if I never saw her– that I would ever forget the sound of her voice. But I didn't pay any close attention to her. She wasn't important to me for I had new friends who paid attention to me and actually had fun. They accepted me into their group. I had other girls on my mind.

Even though I was a prefect, I broke the rules when I was not on duty. There was a broom cupboard on the fifth floor that was perfect for a good snog. It was deep and there was an empty space at the back where it would be very difficult to see someone if they weren't moving. There was lots of cleaning supplies that blocked the sight.

That broom closet was where I found myself two months from the end of sixth year. I was nestled into the back waiting for my newest bird to come along. She was late however, and I was waiting impatiently staring at the walls letting my thought process take me from things like how long this broom cupboard had been here to the party coming up on the weekend to how many nails were in the wood. When the door opened I was just about to say something cynical to my snog partner when I realized that the silhouette was way smaller than the girl I was waiting for. And she was crying.

I froze up right then and didn't say anything. It was a little girl, probably first or second year, and she sat near the door with tears streaming down her face.

Well I was in an awkward position. I really didn't want the girl to know I was here and I couldn't leave without her noticing. I was stuck. I stayed against the wall, hoping that my snog partner would hurry along and help the girl so I wouldn't be stuck in here for long. Sooner rather than later the door opened again. However it wasn't the person I was expecting. It was Rose. She looked tall standing up and it was then that I realized that she was beautiful too. I tried to erase that thought as soon as I thought it, but it stayed at the forefront of my mind. Her wand was illuminated and I saw the compassion on her face as she looked down on the girl. I was hoping Rose would take her away to her common room but she did the exact opposite. Rose entered the broom cupboard, shutting the door gently and sat down cross legged. Her wand was still illuminated and the young girl looked at her quietly and sadly. I was shock still. _How_ do I get themselves into these situations?

'I'm here if you need an ear,' Rose said quietly. I didn't think the girl would respond to the question, but she must have just needed to talk.

'My granmum just passed away. I got a letter from my mum a few minutes ago. And I didn't even get to say goodbye.'

Rose shifted herself; bringing her knees up to under her chin. She wrapped her hands around her legs squeezing tightly as she regarded the girl. A fresh river of tears fell down the girls face but she wasn't making any sobbing noises. Rose then unwrapped a hand and rested it gently on the girl's knee.

'Death is hard to bear, especially when it is loved ones who passed away.' Her voice was hard to place. It sounded thicker than normal, like she was trying to fight through tears to get words out. No tears fell from her face though.

The girl nodded but didn't say anything. The two sat in silence for an impossibly long time; I was beginning to grow stiff and numb, my legs falling asleep from sitting in place for so long. The young girl spoke again though, through her crying.

'Why do people have to die? Why can't they live forever?' There was another short silence before Rose spoke again.

''For death is no more than a turning us over from time to eternity',' Rose quoted softly. 'Death is part of life, and we can't avoid it even though it is painful and unbearable at times. But always keep your chin up; you may one day see those who have passed on again. For that is the way of life. Just remember that your granmum, even though she didn't get to say goodbye, loves you and will always watch over you from somewhere else. Remember all the happy memories, and don't dwell on the sadness.'

The girl nodded again and while wiping her cheeks of tears said, 'okay, I'll try. I better go find my brother now. Mum only wrote one letter.'

'Since it is past curfew, I'll take you there. Okay? And we can go talk to the Headmistress. You and your brother can get excused for a few days to go home to be with your family.'

This was a seriously depressing conversation and it was faintly tugging at my heartstrings. My excitement from the idea of the illegal snog rapidly dropped into sadness and gloom. I felt so fickle now; I seriously only cared about a snog? How shallow was I? I was disgusted with myself for being in the cupboard to hear this private conversation and for waiting in the dark like a coward. Just as Rose and the girl stood up the door opened and my-seriously-late-now-ex-snog-buddy was there. She looked affronted.

'What are you doing here?' she snapped at Rose, who looked with surprise down at the short brunette who was in front of her.

_'Pardon?_' Rose said. The brunette didn't seem to notice the sniffling girl, or just chose to ignore her.

'Why are you in this broom cupboard? It's me he is waiting for, not you. What would he ever see in you?' Brunette said condescendingly with her nose in the air, quite pompously, and I cringed. This was horrible.

I didn't want them to know I was here, I didn't want to get dragged into the conversation at all. I just wanted to leave and curl up in my bed. Brunette couldn't understand the thoughts I was trying to telepathically project into her head though. When Rose asked who she was waiting for, she responded rudely.

'Why _Scorpius Malfoy of course_. Who else would I be waiting for?'

Rose looked a bit surprised at this and quickly glanced to the back of the cupboard. I wasn't sure if she knew my name at all since we never had a proper conversation, but just by the look that glanced my way I knew she knew about the secret spot in the back.

'First of all, it is past curfew so return to your common room before I dock points. And second of all, Scorpius Malfoy isn't here. We've been in here for a while and nobody has opened that door other than you.'

The girl looked unsurely at Rose and then abruptly turned around with a flick of her pony tail and marched away. Rose then gently guided the young girl out of the cupboard and walked out herself. She made sure the little girl wasn't looking and then looked back into the cupboard. Somehow she found my face in the dark and held up both her hands to signify ten. I understood the message plain and simple: I had ten minutes to get a move on away from this place. She shut the door and I was engulfed in darkness. I didn't need a telling twice.

She never said anything to me the next day, nor the next two months. We both continued to just exist; we neither needed friendship nor communication from each other. We had both reached some kind of unspoken, unacknowledged agreement. I never returned to that cupboard again. I felt sick of the thought of all the girls who were so _'in love'_ with me. It felt so phoney when I tried to keep pretenses up for a little bit; they seemed so fake in comparison with the real emotion I had just seen. I grew annoyed very quickly at the giggling messes the girls were and tried to get them to leave me alone. Though many still tried, the majority realised that there was nothing they could do with my mood change and left me alone. My popularity dropped a lot and my friends questioned my sanity, begging me to come out again. I declined all the time. Even though there was only one month left of school, I wanted to try to raise my almost failing grades.

I surprised myself one time though. Quidditch season was finishing up and we were practicing as hard as ever. The captain was calling one of the Chasers a blibbering, bumbling fool who couldn't score a goal if his life depended on it. It was just a fit of rage from the captain, but something came over me before I could think.

'Don't call people names. It will hurt them more than it will help them,' I told the captain.

He regarded me coolly for a few moments before he said it was _his_ team and he could say whatever the hell he bloody wanted to us. I was rewarded 10 laps for speaking out but I was proud of myself for saying something.

It was only in self-reflection later that I realized where that line had come from. Somehow Rose had snuck into my brain and was making me a better person. I, in return made the captain a better person, for he never again called us names, instead focusing on constructive criticism.

Summer came again before I knew it, the ending of sixth year arriving rapidly. This summer wasn't as relaxed as the previous ones had been. With my shitty grades from last year I asked to redo some assignments. I had to get my focus back on track; NEWTS were approaching and if I wanted to do anything with my life I needed to raise my grades. All summer long I did assignments and started looking at NEWT material. I also started thinking about what I wanted to do after Hogwarts.

I decided the first important thing was to move away from home right after Hogwarts. My parents were trying to talk me out of it since I had never really done anything for myself, but I was adamant. I had changed inexplicably somehow and somewhere in the past few years. Yes it all came together in one snap and I changed my decisions practically within that same week, but without any of the previous incidents, I might not have had the courage to tell my friends 'no'. Moving would be a way to experience life, all its complexities and simplicities, all its lessons and rewards. Moving would help me become independent and confident in myself. I hoped. I needed to do something for myself and live without the influence of certain wizards or any of my 'friends'. I needed to not worry about what people thought of me.

Seventh year I ignored girls for the most part. I had no more embarrassing run-ins with Rose that had seemed to happen a few times in the previous years. I lived in the library and the Quidditch pitch, ignoring everyone who complained I had become such a pansy. Rose was in the library lots but she was tutoring most of the time: younger students, and even some stressed by NEWTS. I watched her sometimes as she calmly explained vague and obscure concepts to the students who listened attentively. I caught her staring at me a few times when I would look up and she caught me staring too on occasion. But we never said anything to each other.

How I wished that I was brave enough to go over there and start up a conversation. But my thought process was that we had already been in school for seven years without talking. It would be too weird now to say anything. Even though I ignored my friends for the most part, I was too scared at how they would react if I went even further away from my usual social norm. Plus I was slightly embarrassed at how my last encounter with Rose had gone.

She once sent over a student to me that tripped over his shoelaces five times en route. He mumbled out 'Rose said you were really good at Transfiguration and if you didn't mind helping me, if you could possibly explain this to me real quick.' I was surprised that Rose knew that, but I willingly obliged and helped the boy out to the best I could. When he returned to Rose, she gave me a genuine smile before she returned to his work with him. I had a goofy grin on after that for a while before I realized I probably looked like an imbecile.

Seventh year ended and I realized I had not said one word at all to Rose the whole time at Hogwarts. I suddenly regretted not saying anything all those times in the library. For now, it was _really_ too late, before I was just too - perhaps nervous - to say anything. School was ending and I didn't know if I would ever see her again. As much as the thought slightly pained me, I was a little sad. It took four years, but I was no longer too arrogant to think that thinking of a Weasley was senseless. Did I love Rose? Perhaps I did on some subatomic level at that point, but love and Rose didn't even enter my mind when I stepped off the Hogwarts Express for the last time. I was ready to start my own life.

.0.o.0.o.


	2. Chapter 2

'You can't start the next chapter in your life if you keep rereading the old one.'

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><p>Part III.<p>

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><p>I didn't find it that hard to find a place to live. Apparently people don't want live near the top of an apartment building when there is no elevator. I chose an old apartment in London as my home for the moment, living in a muggle area. Needless to say my parents were very surprised I had actually gone through with my plans. I had no experience in anything muggle. But it was the best way to get independent. The rent was doable and the size of my flat was small. The one thing I loved was that it had a fireplace and large windows. Yes it was a one person flat, but it was pleasant to live in.<p>

Job-wise I wasn't really sure. My parents were backing me up financially, but they did say I had two years to figure something out before I was cut off. I was trying to decide as to where I would want to work. I applied for a few small things here and there: some at the Ministry in the International Department and Transfiguration Departments, two shops in Diagon Alley, and then I applied to a muggle School of Architecture as a student. I wasn't even sure what that was really about and it was a tad random but there had been students on the street as I was walking by that were letting people apply for free so I thought I'd give it a shot.

A few weeks went by before I heard anything. The Ministry Departments I had applied for informed me that they were not hiring at the moment and to try again at a different time. Out of the two shops, only one contacted me back saying they didn't need employers; the other didn't even bother replying. I got accepted to the muggle university though and I thought about it seriously for a few days before I decided to do it. Risk something, _why not_?

I spent the summer wandering around London trying to pick up non-wizard vocabulary. I read up on architecture and what was supposed to only be a twenty minute jaunt into the library turned into a five hour one. Yes I decided to do it on a whim, but the applications of it fascinated me the more I read about it. It would be interesting to combine magic and architecture. I visited the wizarding library to get more books about it and discovered that since it combined so many different forms of magic, it simply couldn't be labeled under one. In other words, it was right up my alley.

I decided to take it one step further and talked to a wizarding architect company. They said that the muggle education would give me a step up over other applicants if I ever applied; wizards were usually too snobby to go to any schools by muggles. The muggle school taught the essentials very well for aspiring young architects. The owner of the company even said that this school might teach it a tad bit better than a wizarding one would. If I did one year at the muggle school and one year at a wizarding school then I would be all set for a career, not counting my apprenticeship.

A bit more optimistic about my future I concentrated on figuring out muggle life and muggle appliances.

The one thing I couldn't figure out was one of the boxes beside the fridge. I figured out it timed something because it would count down from whatever numbers I pressed and because it was in the kitchen I deduced that it had something to do with food. I just really couldn't figure it out. Every time I tried to open it when it was on, it shut off. When I put some food in, it started a fire. So I just covered it with a cloth and ignored it. I was too afraid to ask any neighbours about it. It seemed like such a simple device and I didn't want them to suspect me.

The trip up to the eighth floor tired me every time I traversed it. I was shocked by how quickly I lost my athleticism from school. I started running in the mornings or afternoons, doing a few laps around the park before making my way back to my place.

I was content. I had established some sort of routine for me, had a vague idea about where I wanted to be in the future and I was living as a mature, responsible adult. It was a different life than what I was used to, but it improved me. I was not like the people who I hung around with in school, who were going out every weekend and living with their parents still. Granted, it was just after graduation, but they had no goals for themselves for which I was sad about. I had a feeling that we would never hang out again; me growing up, and them acting like spoilt teenagers. I don't know if I was envious or not. Even though I was piecing a life together I felt like something was missing in my life, something I couldn't name and they couldn't replace. Something important.

It happened one evening when I had just cleaned up the supper dishes and was sitting in front of empty fireplace– for it was still summer- drinking tea and reading one of my books from the library. I suddenly heard a thump from outside my door, silence for a moment, and then a few more thumps. I heard a yell of, _'damnit! A la vache! Merde!'_ and then there was an insistent knocking at my door. It sounded like someone was kicking it with the intent to break it open. I got up uneasily, not sure if I should open the door or not. The kicking became more insistent so I opened the door, my wand hidden but at the ready just in case.

I don't know who was more surprised, Rose Weasley or I. I was surprised- first of all because it was her out of all things, and second of all because there was blood all over her hands. She had a bloody nose. One of her hands was pinching the bridge of her nose and the other was underneath her chin trying to pool the blood that was falling and stop it from getting on the ground or her clothes. She stared at me in shock and I looked at her stunned. She spoke first.

'Ummm. . . Hi. Would you mind if I used your bathroom for a moment. I, uhh. . . well, my nose.'

She kind of shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'it's obvious, _please_ let me in' and I opened the door wider and let her in directing her to where she needed to go. I noticed a bunch of books lying on the floor by the door and picked them all up and set them on my counter. There were lots of them and they were surprisingly heavy. I wondered how she got them up to the eighth floor without magic. I then put the tea kettle back on, for it was the least I could do.

I heard water running and then she came out a few minutes later all cleaned up. She continued to hold some tissue to her nose though, to stop the bleeding. She gave me a shy smile and said, 'thanks.'

'No problem. Would you like some tea?' I said easily and she nodded as I pulled out a chair for her. Then an awkward silence descended.

I was hoping that something would happen, anything– why couldn't I start a conversation for heaven's sake? Then she started to laugh. That was the first time I ever heard her laugh and it gave me jitters in my stomach. It was so fresh, musical, and contagious. I gave a few chuckles too, marveling at her.

'_Ah_, sorry for laughing. This is just so unexpected. The whole past ten minutes have been unreal it seems! So, Scorpius Malfoy, what have you been up to since we ended school two months ago?'

So she knew my name, I was pleasantly surprised. The tea kettle went off so I got her some tea and then started talking.

'Well I moved here about two weeks after school. . . _and_ have just been here, I guess. What about you?'

'Hmmm, well I was at home with my parents and I decided I needed to move out and live by myself for once. So, I started looking for an apartment and there was a room open on the tenth floor that was really cheap. I was just moving in today before school gets going pretty quick.'

I nodded; I felt a strange thrill at the thought that we would be practically neighbours.

'What are you going to be studying?' I asked her curiously.

'Ermm, pediatrics I guess. They offer a wizarding course in a university around this area of London through St. Mungo's. But I might also do rehabilitation. Who knows!' she said. Then continued cheerfully, 'are you doing school or working? _Or_ just living?'

'I'm doing school. . . I will be going to a muggle university to study architecture,' I said a little nervously. I didn't know what she would think of that. She didn't look surprised at my answer though, just thoughtful.

We continued talking easily about our summers and our hopes for the future. There were no more awkward silences, conversation just flowed smoothly. Finally she said she had to be going.

I thought of something as we walked to the door, 'how did you get that bloody nose?'

To my surprise, she blushed a little. 'Well, I was carrying all those books and I must admit they were rather heavy so I was stopping after each level for a rest. It was honestly frustrating me. Well, I got up this far and then the stairs ended! And that door was in the way– I assume I have to cross over to the other side of the building to get to the top two levels– yeah? So odd. Anyway I pushed it open with my back probably harder than I needed to and then I turned around quickly and ran into that wall because I didn't realize it was so close. If I wasn't frustrated, it probably wouldn't have happened. But alas, it did.'

'What was it you yelled out? I didn't recognize the words?'

Even more curiously she blushed more and then said somewhat reluctantly, 'weeelll, I don't like swearing but sometimes something just needs to come out. So I _'swear'_ in other languages so nobody knows what I'm saying. It's usually French or German, but they aren't _bad_ swears, just harmless small ones.'

I shook my head with a smile and offered to carry her books to her room.

'Oh no, I'm almost there. Besides I will feel very accomplished when I get up there. Going up and down the stairs will be very easy after this,' she said with a big smile. I piled the books into her open arms and opened the door for her.

'Thanks again for letting me barge in here. I hope I didn't disturb anything important. Don't be a stranger, and I shan't either.'

I assured her I would come see her tomorrow and then she was gone. I skipped to my bedroom in elation and jumped on my bed. What knocked me back into my senses was that I overjumped it and landed on the floor. As I laid there in momentary agony, I reflected that maybe, just maybe I fancied her a bit- just a tiny bit. Oh, but I made her laugh a few times, and smile. Gosh she had a beautiful smile.

…00o00…

* * *

><p>Part IV.<p>

* * *

><p>She showed me how to work the microwave. <em>Apparently<em> tinfoil didn't go in the microwave. I felt a little stupid but just shrugged it off, for I had guessed fairly closely. Strangely, or not strangely at all, Rose and I became good friends.

We'd eat meals together and walk in the park. Sometimes we would study together and sometimes we would go for a run together. We could sit in front of the fire drinking tea in silence but equally spend an evening laughing so hard our stomachs hurt. She stopped over a lot on her way up and down from her flat. I always made random excuses to go see her, like I had no sugar, or milk, or needed to know the spelling of a word. Another excuse was that I wanted to borrow a book, or needed her to test me on something. I couldn't even remember what I had done for the two months when she wasn't here for we spent so much time together now.

When we would eat meals together sometimes our knees would gently brush or we would reach for something at the same time and both pull back really quick. She always blushed and got shy. She took me to an outdoor folk festival and we danced together, twirling and laughing into the evening. She fell asleep on my lap once when we were studying and I lightly stroked her hair away from her face.

I had never felt that way before, with anyone. We fit together so nicely. I felt like a whole different person when I was with her. It was hard to believe that I was who I was, and that I had just graduated school. I was only 18!

Months passed and eventually we found ourselves at Christmas. White snow blanketed the Earth and our fireplaces became an essential when we discovered another reason why rent had been so cheap: only the first five floors had heat. Rose and I would layer ourselves up in multiple pairs of socks and jumpers and sit in front of a roaring fire with books lain out around us for school. With the companionship, the cold was no problem. It was hard to imagine me living in the apartment without Rose upstairs. If she hadn't come along I probably would have moved home when the cold first hit.

We had just come back from a run outside and Rose was complaining as we walked up the stairs.

'This is all your fault! I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow _at all_. I probably have frostbite in my toes too. Running in winter is crazy! I can't believe you manage to drag me outside every time! ANd my glasses are fogging up again. Something is wrong with me!'

I chuckled. Every time we went running, she said that. But I knew she liked the challenge and exhilaration of it. She stopped on the stairs and sat down for a moment. I took her glasses off her face and wiped them off, putting them gently back on afterwards so I could see her eyes. She shook her head at me.

'I'm serious Scorp, I'm dying. I just need a break for a second. I think I pulled a muscle when I slipped on the ice.'

'_Rossseeee_, we're almost there! Three more flights to go!'

She rolled her eyes. 'For you, superhuman, but I have five more. I think I'm going to die right here!' she said dramatically and then she leaned back on the stairs breathing heavily and shut her eyes. Well what could I do? I sat next to her and relaxed too for a moment. We were both breathing fairly heavily.

Eventually she stood back up with a groan and stretched her back, with her arms lifted high over her head. It cracked a few times and she wrinkled her nose.

_'A la vache_. That's nasty. Come on lazy bones. Hot chocolate is calling my name.' She reached out her hand and helped me up. To my surprise she didn't let go as she led the way up the remainding staircases.

'Pardon me? Lazy bones? You are the one who wanted to rest in the first place!' I said laughing again and she gave me a grin.

She deposited me off at my apartment with the promise that I would come up after I showered. I made it up in no time at all and was knocking at her door, but that was more for courtesy than anything. I entered before she had time to respond.

She had a towel wrapped around her head and was busy brewing some hot chocolate at the stove. I noticed she was wearing one of my jumpers and I couldn't stop staring at her in happiness because of that simple fact. I sat down at the table.

'Rose it's freezing in here! Did you start the fire?'

'Don't be silly, you can see it roaring right there. Give it a bit to warm up.'

'Ahhh, it's_ cold _though.'

'Oh goodness. Well I think I still have one of your sweaters on my bed that you could go grab.'

'You're saying that besides the one you are wearing right now, you have another jumper too? No wonder I have no clothes left.'

_'Meh,_ they're warm.'

I shook my head at her as I went to her room and grabbed it. I liked her wearing my jumpers; it was almost as if she was wearing a piece of me. A photograph caught my attention and I picked it up and looked at it.

It was a picture of her family, and it got me thinking for a moment. I returned to Rose putting the jumper on.

'Say Rose, what are you doing for Christmas?'

She poured out our drinks and shrugged. 'Well probably something with my family. Christmas day we all go to the Burrow usually. It is quite a fiasco. Why?' she asked with a curious smile as she pulled the towel off her head and shook out her wet hair. Her hair was a few inches below her shoulders now but still very curly.

'Do you want to. . . come over for a day– to meet my parents, or just for a supper when exams are finshed. You know. . . if you were interested. . . at all. . . ' I lost confidence the longer I talked and so I shut up, almost sorry I said anything at all.

She beamed at me, 'I would love to. And you're invited to my place too, you know.'

That settled it. When I told my parents about it they just raised their eyebrows. My dad asked me whose kid she was. When I told him he held a hand over his heart and grimaced.

'I need a drink. Please don't bring her over tonight, I need time to process this and probably won't be in the right state to meet her.'

I wasn't too impressed with him. 'Honestly dad. It's not like we're getting married.'

He groaned, 'don't say that to me. I'm going to need a week now before I will be able to see the young lady. First muggle London and now a Wealsey?' He walked away muttering and I heard him say, 'this will not end well. Him marrying a Weasley, why I never.'

Even though it didn't seem like it, my dad had been in excellent humour. I brought Rose over a few days later and he acted with the perfect amount of decorum to her. She even made him spit up his pork in laughter with something she said. My mom winked at me when we were leaving and whispered, 'bring her over again.'

We disapparated back together to her place to avoid the stairs because nobody had seen us leave it in the first place– that was where we had apparated from. Yes we cheated sometimes and acted like real wizards to avoid those god awful stairs.

We went to her home the next night. It was Christmas Eve and the house was decorated up in all its Christmas glory. It was just her immediate family. I met her Dad, her Mom, and her younger brother Hugo. Her dad seemed to take an instant dislike to me but Hugo instantly took to me. He was in his sixth year at Hogwarts and was animatedly talking about Quidditch. He seemed very interested in what I was taking in school: architecture.

'What is architecture exactly? Are you going to build things do you think, when you are done the schooling?' he asked as we sat around the kitchen table enjoying a glass of wine after dinner.

'I'm not sure. I will just make plans of the buildings or structures and give it to the workers or companies. Probably supervise the work site and I would probably do some final touches too, if things need to be changed or adjusted a bit.'

'That's cool. So you could one day design someplace. . . _like Hogwarts_?'

I laughed thinking how I used to gaze with wonder up at Hogwarts in my first few years there. 'Umm, yes potentially I guess. Though I don't think castles are that high in demand at this point, and it would be a huge project to undertake.'

'That is really cool. Well sis, he is alright in my books,' Hugo said cheerfully to Rose with a slap on her back. Rose turned bright red and mumbled, 'we are just friends Hugh.'

That stung a bit. Yes, technically we were friends, really good friends. By the way we acted; I always forgot that it was only friends. I never said the word out loud, hoping I could deny the truth of the matter. But I couldn't deny it anymore. I wanted more than friends. I wanted to hold hands with her and kiss her. It was kind of sad that it took a comment from her younger brother to make me realize it. I loved her and I needed to act soon. The angry glare her father was giving me would probably turn into a death glare if I had anything to say about it.

We eventually made our leave way. Her dad asked to speak to me before we left, in private. I got nervous and Rose shot a calculated glance at her father but then nodded to him. He pulled me into his bedroom and shut the door.

'We are just friends.' I blurted out before he could say anything, my heart thumping. My thoughts from a few minutes ago instantly disappeared as he regarded me coolly. I was afraid for my life at that moment.

He raised his eyebrows at me, 'if you say that from a year from now, I don't know if I will be secretly grateful, or angry at you for breaking Rose's heart.'

I stared at him in shock as he continued, 'now I know that me saying this to you seems very out of place but you know what? I have heard Rose laugh more tonight than in the past four years. She has been through a lot and maybe, no matter how much I try not to like you, maybe you are just what she needs. So. . . just. . . be. . . _careful_. I was very adamant against this in the start, but now, now I'm not too sure.'

I stared at him in disbelief– did he just give me his _blessings_? I blinked multiple times.

With his spiel finished, he sat down on the bed with a groan, grimacing. I immediately thought of my dad.

'Sir. . . do you. . . need a drink of something?' I asked.

He got up. 'That is exactly what I need. Now off you go, I'm sure Rose is waiting patiently at the porch, waiting to interrogate you. I'll get myself a drink.'

I joined Rose as she stood there all bundled up in her winter clothes. We had apparated from my apartment but since Ron and Hermione had lots of anti-apparation wards around their place we had to walk a ways out before disapparating. We said our goodbye's, Rose telling them she would go directly to the Burrow tomorrow morning. Ron saluted us with his newly filled wine glass as Hermione waved, but Hugo was disappointed.

'Rose, you're not going to be here on Christmas? But it is tradition that I jump on you in the morning! Who is going to wake you up otherwise?'

'I assure you I won't be late silly goose! And who knows, maybe I will make a detour here first and be the one to wake you up! Change the traditions a bit, you know.'

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a smile full of disbelief. 'Not a chance, sissy. I'm always up before you!'

She replied to him in a sing-song voice before she went outside, 'don't count your chickens before they are hatched Hugo.'

We started walking in a comfortable silence through the cold. The sky was clear and the air nipped our cheeks. There were so many stars in the sky it seemed like we were on another planet; in a different time, different place. It was beautiful. My hand automatically reached out to grip Rose's and we walked hand in hand over the hill. We reached our destination and just stood there watching our breath disappear on the cold air.

I turned to her and gently brushed my free hand against her cheek. Her skin tinged pink but she didn't say anything; just looked at me steadily with the same eyes that looked at me in fourth year. There was less sadness in them, but they were still calm, intense, and intelligent. This time however, there was something else in them too. Something I knew that was in mine, that had actually been in them for a really long time. I tucked her red hair behind her ear and leaned down, touching my lips to hers. It was like a breath of fresh air. Our lips were cold from the cool air as we kissed beneath the stars. After what seemed like eons, we drew apart and she rested her head on my chest.

'I love you,' she whispered and I squeezed her tight and whispered back, 'I love you too.'

We apparated back to my flat and amidst more kisses we eventually undressed from our winter things. More kisses later, our lips were numb and our hair a mess. She started unbuttoning my shirt as I gently steered us to my bed.

Later that night we lay twined together on my mattress. I gently twirled a strand of her hair around my fingers as I watched her beautiful sleeping face. My heart felt like it would burst with emotion as I slowly succumbed to the night's whispers.

o.0o..o0.o

* * *

><p>Part V.<p>

* * *

><p>Four months later Rose sold her apartment. She practically lived at mine and she always complained about the extra flights of stairs anyway. My friends who had mysteriously been avoiding me the past months popped over a few times just to express how stupid I was to get involved with her, and how young. Thing was though that I didn't feel young. I felt right, I felt complete. I knew the day would come when I would outgrow my school friends. I didn't even care, good riddance to them. They didn't see it in me; they didn't realize how my life had changed. They still saw the same arrogant youngster who was trying to fit in.<p>

It was a week later that I noticed something. . . _off_ about Rose. She would spend lots of time looking out the window staring at nothing in particular and was extra fidgety. Since we were nearing the end of our first year of school we had exams coming up. We were back into our old routine: studying with our papers all over the floor, the fireplace on, and our ever present mug of hot tea. Rose cleared her throat and I looked up at her in a question as she started talking slowly.

'Scorpius. Tomorrow I won't be going to school,' she started off and then pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. I had a sudden flashback to when we were in sixth year. She sat the same way in that broom closet.

'I have. . . I have somewhere I need to go. It's somewhere important, and every April 3rd I go there. But this year I was wondering if you would like to come with me. It's not something very happy, but it is something that changed my life so much that I think you need to know about it,' she finished, looking at the ground.

I couldn't bear to have the space between us. I scooted over to her and wrapped my arms around her, lightly kissing her forehead and telling her I would be there for her. She awkwardly moved to my lap and laid her head on her shoulder. I wasn't sure what the next day would bring.

The winter had been especially long this year. Even though it was April there was some snow lightly falling as we walked into the cemetery in the early morning of the next day. I was surprised at our destination but didn't say anything, even as Rose's hand got tighter around mine.

She was carrying flowers we had picked up on the way. She had noticed my silent question in the cemetery about them but just shook her head as she pulled me along, row after row. The snow crunched around our feet and the fog made it hard to see very far. I was a tiny bit spooked but didn't say anything.

Rose eventually stopped walking and looked down at a tombstone. She gently brushed it off and a name appeared: Grace Theresa O'Neale. Her birthdate was the exact same as Rose's but the death date was five years ago. There was a quote beneath that I recognized immediately. Rose kneeled down to lay the flowers on the partially frozen earth and then stood up again beside me. The first sentence she uttered was so quiet I wasn't sure she even said it, but then her voice got louder.

'She was my best friend up until fourth year. We were neighbours and every summer we would play together outside, walk to each other's houses through the fields, and swim in the ponds. Hugo joined us lots of the time and we always had the best of times; there was so much laughter and love whenever we were all together. She was practically my twin. Well, we always pretended that we were twins because we had been born on the exact same day within one hour of each other. She was a muggle though and didn't know about me being a witch.

'It was hard being friends when I started going to Hogwarts because I couldn't say stories about anything that happened during the year. Summertime came each year and she would have lots of hilarious stories about what she had done and I could only smile and laugh, for I couldn't share anything, the secret was too big. It was the only thing I hated about being a witch. Oh, we both had long red hair too. That was another reason why we pretended we were twins. I had more freckles than her though and I was taller but otherwise we were similar in so many ways.'

Rose stopped talking for a moment and I noticed that she had a few tears on her face. She took a deep breath and continued,

'It happened in third year in the first weekend of April. It was my cousin Victoire's wedding and so my whole family was excused from school for a few days. She was over at my house talking animatedly about one of the adventures she had had at school the past week. I wasn't paying attention though, witches and wizards were coming in and out, and magic was everywhere. Mum told me that she was expecting an owl from my aunt Fleur and so I was trying to watch for it in case I had to take Grace out of the room. I was on guard the whole time, very paranoid and not paying attention to Grace because I had to keep this big secret from her. She got mad at me then. She asked why we were even friends anymore if it was just a one sided conversation all the time and I acted like I didn't care about our friendship. She thought I had become stuck up at boarding school. We called each other not very nice names and then she left in a fit of rage. Oh I was so mad. I had taken my anger out on her, but I was really mad at the stupid wizarding laws, the government, and my parents for the stupid rules we lived by. I was mad that I couldn't say anything.

'I realize now that I could have, and should have said something but then I didn't even think of it. I was thirteen and my parents wanted me to wait until I was seventeen before I made an important decision like that. That night we were invited to my aunt's and uncle's house for supper. I was still mad at Grace but I was excited to see my relatives. They were a noisy lot and we had such fun being hooligans. I could easily forget Grace and our conversation there. Before we were about to leave though, Grace called me and said she was sorry.

'I wasn't though; if she had waited 'till the next day I probably wouldn't have been as mad. But that anger had kept a hold of me. I had such a biting temper when I was younger. I told her we weren't twins anymore and if she thought I was stuck up then she could just leave me alone forever. Again I called her horrible, mean names. Later that night, we got a call. Grace had snuck out of the house and gone to hang out with some of her muggle friends. The driver lost control of the vehicle they were in and they had all died instantly.

'I was devastated beyond words. I was shocked and couldn't believe what had happened.

'My last words to her were mean and spiteful; I had been a hateful child when she tried to say sorry. I then cut off my long red hair; I didn't deserve to be her twin anymore. She had tried fixing things with me even though it was me who was in the wrong, but I had snubbed her. She wasn't the type of person to sneak out. Ever. So I partially blamed myself for what happened and it just broke my heart.

'I didn't go back to school right away but when I did I started to watch what I said. I avoided my cousins who couldn't comprehend the fact that I didn't want to play the stupid games or pranks, or hurt and tease people for fun anymore.

'At school I watched everyone around me. Perhaps it was some form of depression but I didn't want to talk to anyone; there was a huge hole in my heart and I had nothing to say. I didn't think I had any anger left in me, I promised myself that I would never get mad again but then a little bit later I saw something that made me forget that.

'There were two girls whom I knew were friends that were yelling in the girls' toilet at each other. I saw them and immediately thought of me and Grace. I marched right in there and splashed them both with water. Oh, I gave them a telling they wouldn't believe. They were older than me but I spoke so fiercely and so strongly that they just stared in shock. I told them that they shouldn't call each other names for it always cut deeper than anyone realized. They should cherish the friendship they had, for you never know if that person will be gone from your life the next day. I walked out of there and I realized that I felt a little better. Even though that time I had done it in anger, I realized that helping people might be a way to fill the gaping hole in my heart.

'I started to do odd little things. I started talking to the students who didn't have many friends. I started tutoring them a bit when they had questions about school assignments. When people dropped things I helped them pick it up, when someone tripped I helped them up, when I heard someone call someone else a name I told them not to do that.

'One of the biggest things I did was when I found a letter on the ground one day. It was to a girl who was two years above me. The letter was from her father and it was about how he couldn't afford a broom for her because they needed to buy essentials for all of her siblings at home still. Her father said he was so terriby sorry and the letter was so touching. I noticed that there were teardrop stains on it and decided I had to do something. I wrote home and told my parents what my plan was and they sent me my broom. I polished it up as best as I could and then placed it in the broom shed for her, with a little note.

'I visited students in the hospital wing and took tea to my dormmates when they was sick. I did a bunch of other things too, trying to heal that hole. Then I found a quote in a book I was reading, 'everyone knows that the drop emerges into the ocean, but few know that the ocean emerges into the drop.' Grace's parents wrote to me and asked if there was something that I wanted on the tombstone. I told them the quote and they understood and put it there. . .

'We graduated. I felt that I just needed to leave the familiar and go somewhere else to experience whatever I could. There were so many sad and happy memories at home, I felt I was losing ground with that hole was that was always threathening to get bigger. I needed to make happy memories elsewhere too. Then I remembered that Grace and I always talked about getting an appartment together in London after school so I decided to do that.

'Then I met you. . . well officially. I had always noticed you in school before but I never talked to you really. . .

_'_And, so, there lies the tale of Rose Weasley,' she finished, finally turning to me and looking at me. 'How she turned from a menace to a person who cared. You are now the only person who knows the whole story; it is something I had never been able to share before, never _wanted_ to share before.'

She finished and looked at me. She had tried smiling when she said her last sentence but it didn't really work. I calmly looked at her, not entirely sure what to say. She had stopped crying but her eyes were still red.

I took a hesitant step towards her and said, 'as Grace changed who you were, you have changed me in so many ways as well. I know it was hard to share your story but they always say that sharing is the first form of healing. But don't forget that I'm always here for you, no matter what, no matter when.'

She flung herself into my arms. I caught her and just held her as another storm of tears came. When she stopped crying she stepped back, wiping her eyes on her scarf.

I realized something and hesitantly spoke, 'your hair is long now.'

She smiled. 'Yes, because of you. Although that hole in my heart will never be repaired, you have healed it so much more than I ever thought possible.'

I kissed her forehead and asked if she was ready to go. She nodded and then kneeled down again and put her hand on the tombstone.

When she stood up I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as she wrapped hers around my waist. 'I'm ready,' she said, 'and I know what you were wondering earlier, about the flowers.'

'Oh?'

'Well you were wondering why I bothered getting flowers because it is still wintery outside and they will die right away. Right?'

I was embarrassed that I thought that, the flowers obviously signified something to her, but I nodded anyway.

'They were our favourite flowers and even though the plant dies, the seeds don't. When the snow melts, these flowers are the first to bloom in the spring, and they spread. I have always visited the cemetery once in the summertime. The ground is awash in bluebells and it just gives me peace of mind. It truly is an amazing sight. There is purple everywhere.'

'That's really beautiful Rose.'

She smiled timidly and we walked back to our little flat together. The fog had lifted and some rays of sunshine were peeking through the clouds, illuminating our path from the cemetery.

0…000…o

* * *

><p>Part VI.<p>

* * *

><p>Two years passed. Rose <em>slowly<em> introduced me to members of her family, instead of bombarding me with them all at once.

We went for afternoon tea at the houses for both her sets of grandparents. Her grandma Weasley decided that a blue Christmas jumper would go wonderfully with my blonde hair and grey eyes. Her other grandparents bombarded us with sugar-free baking and socks.

She took me to the Potters and we played a big game of four-on-four Quidditch outside in their backyard. Hugo came with us for backup because Rose said the Potter kids were very unpredictable. They warned me about the spiked desert Lily made and Hugo stood up for me when James took some jabs at me. They accepted me though because they saw the evidence of how Rose and I were together.

One summer we went to France when her Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill were visiting there. She already knew French but they taught it to me as we laid in the sun and ate berries from the trees. We tried coffee for the first time with her cousins in cafés and strolled down cobblestoned paths in old cities, admiring the buildings and art. We also decided that we didn't like coffee that much and were going to stick with tea.

We felt particularly brave one weekend and visited her Uncle Charlie in Romania. I won't lie and say that if I never see a dragon again I would be sad, because I really wouldn't.

We talked politics and politicians with her Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey for an hour before Rose's younger twin cousins rescued us from their parents. A not very stimilating afternoon turned into a huge water fight outside with Rose and I ending up getting absolutely drenched from Molly and Lucy.

We went for supper above Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes where her Uncle George and Aunt Angelina lived. She tried to save me from pranks befalling me, but in the end we were outsmarted and both left with our skin stained blue. She said it was inevitable, that was just who they were.

Two years had passed; she still needed two more years of school while I started working for a wizarding architect company in Bookham outside of London. The training was on the job and I was apprenticed to one of the greatest architects of the past twenty years.

After that second winter we decided to move out and find ourselves a home. We had had enough of freezing in the wintertime and of the really small space only designed for one. We moved to the countryside of Bookham. The land was empty but I designed a home for us, knowing exactly how it should be to fit us both.

After it was built, we had a small two bedroom cottage with a big fireplace and large windows. Rose decided she loved our new home too much to stay in London while she had school. She flooed every day to her classes.

I became integrated into her family in all ways but one. When I proposed, it wasn't announced before a grand audience or in a fancy restaurant. It was as we took a twilight walk on Christmas Eve under the stars. There were only the sounds of the night and the rustling trees as she whispered a yes to me.

We had a long engagement. It wasn't until she had finished school that a wedding date was set. With some few close friends who we had met through school and work, and our families, we got married at our house after I landscaped the backyard into something natural and beautiful. The ceremony was very quiet and quaint, but afterwards it turned into a big celebration and party. Her family does certainly know how to have fun. Our dad's and James all tried to outdrink one another, while our moms shook their heads and asked themselves why they had married them again. But it was all in good fun. There were a few small food fights when Rose had pushed my face into the wedding cake. It was a happy affair and full of love.

Rose finished her education and became a Healer for children. There were many sad moments of her job as well as happy, but I was always there for her when she came home after a particulary tough day of work.

I finished my apprenticeship and started taking on bigger and bigger projects. I developed my own style as I liked working with the natural landscape around me, building unique and interesting abodes and buildings.

After talking about it a few times, we decided that kids were something we would like to have in the future. We were financially secure, had a home and reliable jobs. We were ready for the next step in life.

Looking back it is hard to believe how I had been when I was younger. I couldn't imagine life without Rose and I was so thankful that we both had found ourselves in that old apartment right out of Hogwarts. Perhaps our story was chance, or perhaps it it was fate, but life happened and we had lived it the best we could. Rose and I were going to grow old together. I just knew it.

00oo..oo00

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><p>La fin.<p>

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><p><em><strong>AN: Well this story took on a life of its own. What was originally supposed to be about two thousand words morphed into quite a large two shot. This dominated my whole week so I hope you like it and leave a review if you find the time. If anybody is interested, look up images of bluebells on the internet. They really are very beautiful. Thanks for reading!**_

_**B.N: I don't own any of the quotes. Nor the world or characters you recognize.**_


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